Marko Simonovic stands out as the MVP of the EuroCup Quarterfinals

By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net

Marko Simonovic was named the Most Valuable Player of the Quarterfinals in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup.

Euroleague Basketball confirmed the 25-year-old Montenegrin big as the MVP on Thursday.

Simonovic, a veteran of 16 NBA games with the Chicago Bulls, piled up 20 points with 5/7 field goals for Bahcesehir Koleji to eliminate Cedevita Olimpija and advance to the Semifinals on Tuesday.

Producing a Performance Index Rating of 27 topped the list of all players of the winning teams on Tuesday and Wednesday to earn the MVP nod.

Per the press release: “In the one-and-done BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals, Marko Simonovic led Bahcesehir College Istanbul in a come-from-behind 85-81 win over visiting Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. The big man scored a career-high 20 points, making 4 of 6 two-pointers and his only three-point attempt, and sinking 9 of 10 free throws. Simonovic also pulled down 4 rebounds, including 3 on offense, had a career-high 3 steals and 1 assist. Simonovic accumulated a PIR of 27, which was the best of his career and the most of any player on a winning team in the quarterfinals.

Jerad Harper of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem had a PIR of 29, the highest of all players in the quarterfinals, albeit in an 89-92 loss against Dreamland Gran Canaria. Harper had 24 points, 5 assists and 11 drawn fouls. Two players had PIRs of 23: Gran Canaria’s Caleb Homesley and Zach Hankins of U-BT Cluj-Napoca. Homesley tallied 21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 8 fouls drawn in a win over Jerusalem, while Hankins posted 12 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals in a 98-74 loss to Valencia Basket. Rounding out the list of the quarterfinals’ top performers was Olivier Hanlan of Turk Telekom Ankara who had 17 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists for a PIR of 22 in a 67-61 loss against Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv.

Individual highs: Zach Hankins, Cluj, 13 rebounds

Harper led all players in the quarterfinals with 24 points and finishes his season as the EuroCup’s leading scorer with 23.2 points per game.

Hankins grabbed 13 rebounds, more than any other player in the four quarterfinal games. Kyle Alexander of Turk Telekom is the top rebounder with 7.1 per game.

Cluj’s Zavier Simpson dished 10 assists, the most in the quarterfinals. Simpson’s maiden EuroCup campaign comes to an end with him leading the competition with 8.0 assists 8.0 per game.

Jerusalem’s Justin Smith led all players in the quarterfinals with 4 steals. Andrew Albicy leads the season-long steals charts with 2.1 per contest.

Kyle Alexander had a quarterfinal-high 4 blocks and finished the season as the EuroCup’s top shot blocker, averaging 2.1 blocks.

There were two double-doubles in the quarterfinals, both by Cluj players: Hankins (12 points, 13 rebounds) and Simpson (12 points, 10 assists).”

Top 10 Plays

On the way out of the EuroCup, French center Yoan Makoundou ranked first in the Top 10 Plays of the Quarterfinals.

Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net

Read the latest News